A Price To Pay
by Pedellea
Summary: Bosco goes missing. Enticing enough for ya?


> **TITLE**: A Price To Pay   
**AUTHOR**: Pedellea   
**E-MAIL**: pedellea@hotmail.com   
**DATE**: July 9, 2000   
**RATING**: PG-13 for violence   
**SUMMARY**: Bosco goes missing. Enticing enough for ya?   
**SPOILERS**: none   
**DISCLAIMER**: Third Watch belongs to John Wells Production and Warner Brothers. There you are. Short and sweet.   
**AUTHOR'S NOTES**: I've been working on this story since November 1999, and finally I've been able to put it out! I guess this one has a bit of MTA X-Files stories flavour (man, I read too much fanfic!). Blame school for the delay of posting. Hope you will enjoy this story... character thoughts are in [these lovely brackets]. 

* * *

## A PRICE TO PAY

**By Pedellea**

> Neighbourhood Park   
Near Midnight 
> 
> It was Bosco's day off today, but not for a reason he would have wanted. Jogging helped vent off some of the frustration that he had built up inside. 
> 
> For the past two and a half gruelling weeks, Bosco, Yokas, and a few other officers and detectives from their division had been working to catch a murder suspect - Robert Baxter - who killed at least 3 people in the nearby area. For two weeks they followed dead end leads, many times starting back at square one. So finally, they find the guy yesterday, but only to kill him in a shootout that fortunately hurt no one else. But the shooter was Bosco, so he wasn't too surprised when the chief told him to take a day off. He tried to reason with the chief, but to no avail. He even tried to go to work in the afternoon, but the chief sent him home. 
> 
> So now, near midnight, he was in the park, jogging around the paths. This was definitely no fun. 
> 
> Unknown to Bosco was a man following him. This man was about 6" tall, with a muscular build. He could easily overpower Bosco, and he planned to. But he chose to follow Bosco. For now. 
> 
> It so happens that after Bosco's run, he heads into an alleyway for a shortcut home. 
> 
> "Hey! " 
> 
> Bosco, surprised by the voice, turned around. 
> 
> "What?"   
"Nice meetin' ya, officer Boscorelli." 
> 
> Bosco instinctively reached to his side. He cursed to himself when he couldn't find his gun. He realzed he didn't have his boot gun either, because he was wearing running shoes. 
> 
> "What do you want?"   
"Oh, right. You haven't seen me before."   
"What are you talkin' about?"   
"I'm Tom Baxter." 
> 
> [Baxter... Robert Baxter... his brother or something?,] Bosco thought, his eyes betraying his surprised feeling. Tom, seeing his reaction, gave a short laugh. 
> 
> "Yeah. The same Baxter, officer. And you know what? I'm not alone." 
> 
> Before Bosco could turn around and see if anyone was there, something hit his head real hard. [This is not good] he thought to himself as he dropped to the ground from the force of the blow. The darkness swallowed him up soon after. 
> 
> * * *
> 
> Unknown Location   
Early Morning Hours 
> 
> Drip. Drip. Drip. The unstopping dripping of something was what brought Bosco back to consciousness. His head pounded non-stop, and he felt wet and cold all over. He opened his eyes. It was dark, really dark. [Where am I?,] he thought as he struggled to sit up. The effort made his head throb even harder, and feeling really dizzy, he groaned and slumped against the wall behind him. He found one of his wrist to be cuffed to a pipe behind him, which probably led to the source of the dripping above him. 
> 
> He tried to piece together what had happened to him. Bits and pieces filtered through his muddled mind... jogging... a man... no gun... Baxter...? 
> 
> Suddenly, a light penetrated the darkness, coming from in front of him. He lifted his free hand to shade his eyes. 
> 
> "Well, well. Look who's back with us."   
"Baxter."   
"Ah... so you remember me, officer Boscorelli."   
"What do you want?"   
"You *know* what I want."   
"And what is that?" 
> 
> At that, Baxter punched Bosco, aiming at his face. He got his right eye instead. Retaliating, Bosco kicked out his feet, knocking Tom off balance. Bosco got on his feet and tried unsuccessfully to free himself. He fell when Tom kicked him behind his knees. Tom continued kicking viciously Bosco tried to fight back, but his strength was slipping away. 
> 
> "Tom!" 
> 
> Both Bosco and Tom heard the voice. Tom stopped his kicking, and Bosco crumpled to the floor, battered and bruised. 
> 
> "Tom! What the hell were you thinking?"   
"He *killed* our brother, Dan."   
"I know, I know. But we can't take things so fast. You know that." 
> 
> Tom kicked Bosco hard, and he grunted painfully. 
> 
> "Tom!" 
> 
> Tom sighed discontentedly, and stalked off upstairs angrily without another word to his older brother. Dan looked at Bosco. 
> 
> "This is just the beginning, officer." 
> 
> Then, he too went off, leaving Bosco alone in the dark. Bosco was glad they left. He tried to sit up again, but it hurt every part of his body just to move a little. His abdomen hurt like hell, and his head pounded hard. Couldn't open his right eye because it had already swollen shut. His sweatshirt and pants were now soaked through with water as a result of being on the wet ground, and he was freezing. When he mustered up enough strength, he pushed himself up to a sitting position. He tucked his knees close enough so it wasn't too uncomfortable, closed his eyes, and tried to regain some warmth. 
> 
> * * *
> 
> 55th Precinct 3:15pm 
> 
> Faith was not having a good day. Fred got really drunk last night, and they got into another fight. Charlie had the flu, and the babysitter cancelled last minute which sent her scrambling for a replacement. 
> 
> Now at the station, her partner was nowhere to be found. 
> 
> "Hey, Sully, have you seen Bosco?"   
"No, don't think so. Can't find him, huh. Isn't he... taking a holiday?"   
"Thought it was just a one day thing. Well, I'll check up front."   
"Good luck."   
"Yeah..." 
> 
> Faith strode up to the front and asked about Bosco at the desk. The desk sergeant told her he hadn't seen him yet either. Faith figured he was still pissed off about the shooting, or something. It's more like him to force his way into work, since he loves his job. But there was little she could do now. She'll have to ride alone today, just like yesterday. 
> 
> * * *
> 
> Unknown Location   
Afternoon Hours 
> 
> Bosco grunted and swore in frustration as he tried to free himself from his bonds without success. His grunt turned into a cough. 
> 
> Waking up about an hour before, he found his aches and pains to have dulled somewhat. The temperature of the room had warmed up some which helped warm him up and partially dry his wet clothes. The annoying drips had stopped as well. 
> 
> He tried yelling for help, also without success. Should have figured that they wouldn't leave him in a place with a lot of people. In between yellings he had fits of coughing. He wasn't too surprised that he caught a cold, considering the conditions he was left in. 
> 
> He sniffled and tugged at his chains again. Nothing happened. He sighed dejectedly, and looked down at his cuffed wrist. From the tiny bit of sunlight that came through a slit of a window above him, he saw that it was red from his pulling, and had deep marks where the cuff had dug into his skin. All this trouble and nothing happens. Well, at least you'd have to credit the makers of the cuff for their good product. He shook his head and looked up instead, trying to think of a way to escape. 
> 
> Then he saw it: a rusty section on the water pipe he was chained to. If he pulled hard enough, it would probably break, and he would be free. He got up so he could reach the section, and tried to break it with his hands. It didn't require much effort, and soon enough, the pipe broke. Some water came out, and made him wet once again, but it didn't matter. He was free! He slipped his cuff from the pipe. 
> 
> "This is too easy," he muttered to himself as he made his way to and up the stairs. 
> 
> For a split second, as he opened the stairwell door, he saw a face on the other side. Then he felt himself tumbling back down to the bottom of the stairs. He cried out as a sharp pain shot up on of his legs, probably broken. A hard kick to the stomach sent him crashing into the wall. He felt a sharp blow to the head and his world exploded, fading into nothing. It really was too easy. 
> 
> * * *
> 
> 55th Precinct   
11:45pm 
> 
> "Excuse me." 
> 
> Faith turned around. She was just heading home, late once again. The woman who called her name was familiar. Then it clicked in her head. It was Nicole, Bosco's girlfriend. She smiled. 
> 
> "Nicole, right? How can I help you?"   
"Yeah... Bosco said he'd meet me after work here about half an hour ago. Is he still inside?"   
"No actually, he didn't show up today. He might be at home or something."   
"I tried to call but no one picked up. Well, thanks anyways."   
"Yeah, no problem. Hey, I hope you find him."   
"Yeah, thanks. I'll see you again sometime?"   
"Sure... goodnight."   
"You too, goodnight." 
> 
> [That's funny,] Faith thought to herself. She was sure Bosco would have been with Nicole all this time. Well, maybe he's sick of her now. He complains about her every now and then... 
> 
> Faith brushed aside her thoughts. She didn't want to meddle with Bosco's business, unless, of course, when he asks. She picked up her speed and continued home. 
> 
> * * *
> 
> Unknown Location   
Night Hours 
> 
> Bosco couldn't breathe properly. His ribs must be bruised up or something because every time he took a breath, it hurt like hell. He settled for shallow breaths, which didn't hurt as much. 
> 
> Now in the night, everything was dark once again. He was cuffed back up, both hands in front, to a pipe, but this time at the other side of the room. He leaned heavily against the corner of the wall, too drained of energy to move. His left leg throbbed unendingly with pain, definitely broken. His head competed with the throbbing, and it made him nauseated. He fought hard not to throw up. 
> 
> In his weakened state, he wished to God that he could just get the heck out of wherever he was. Probably can't last very much longer if he didn't. With these thoughts, he drifted slowly back to dreamland. 
> 
> * * *
> 
> Outside Bosco's Apartment   
4:30pm 
> 
> Something wasn't right. Faith didn't know what, but something was wrong. She felt this feeling since she got up in the morning. It wasn't Fred who hadn't drunk anything since yesterday. She checked on Emily and Charlie. They were fine, and Charlie's temperature had gone down. 
> 
> On her way to work, the same feeling nudged at her heart. What was wrong? 
> 
> At the station, she checked her partner's blue Mustang. It wasn't anywhere in sight. Maybe he's just late. Wouldn't be the first time. She asked around again, like yesterday, but no one had seen him. When an hour went by, and Bosco still didn't show, she began to really worry about him. 
> 
> She tried his home number, but the only thing that picked up was his answering machine. She didn't have much calls to make either, so she drove to his apartment which wasn't too far away to see if he was there. Looking up his buzzer number, she rang a few times. No one answered. 
> 
> "You need to get in, officer?"   
"Oh... yeah. That'd be great." 
> 
> The man nodded, and opened the door. Faith checked Bosco's apartment number again, and got inside. 
> 
> "Thanks."   
"No problem. Anyone you lookin' for in particular? I'm the landlord."   
"Yeah, I'm looking for the tenant on 502, Maurice Boscorelli. Have you seen him lately?"   
"Oh, you mean officer Bosco? You must be his partner."   
"Yeah..."   
"Nice meeting you. Well, you know... come to think of it, I haven't seen him for a day or two now. Always says hey when he comes by. Maybe you should go up and ask his neighbours, see if they know anything."   
"Yeah... thanks for your help." 
> 
> Faith rode up the elevator to the fifth floor and headed to Bosco's apartment, which was right around the corner from the elevator. She knocked on the door several times. No answer. She called his name. There was a response this time, but it was from his annoyed neighbour next door. 
> 
> "Can I help you?," the man asked.   
"Sorry about that. Have you seen officer Bosco lately?"   
"Bosco? Naw... don't think so. Not in the past few days, anyways, but he comes in late all the time."   
"You have any idea where he might be?"   
"No... don't know him that well or anything."   
"Know anyone that might?"   
"No." 
> 
> Faith looked at the man for a few more seconds, disappointment plastering her face. She sighed. 
> 
> "Thanks for your help."   
"Yeah... hey, is he in trouble or something?"   
"Maybe... I don't know. Look... here's my card. Call me if you see him or hear from him, okay?" 
> 
> She handed Bosco's neighbour her card. He looked at it. 
> 
> "Sure."   
"Thanks." 
> 
> As the man closed his door, Faith headed back down the elevator, deciding to check Bosco's parking space. She asked the landlord to show her his spot, and he led her there. His car was in the spot. Now she was really worried. She took a peek in his car. Nothing out of the ordinary. She sighed. 
> 
> "Could I get into his apartment?"   
"Yeah, sure." 
> 
> Faith wanted to make sure that Bosco wasn't just preoccupied with Nicole, sleeping in real late, or forgot to come to work, if that was possible with him. Right now, she would much rather see him in his apartment and feel stupid for worrying in the first place than confirming that he was indeed missing. 
> 
> Once again outside his door, she waited for the landlord to open it. She mentally prepared herself for what she might see on the other side. The door unlocked, but the landlord didn't open it. 
> 
> "I'll be downstairs if you need me."   
"Thanks." 
> 
> Faith opened the door slowly. Nothing out of the ordinary, but no Bosco either. She turned into the kitchen. A cup of cold coffee sat on the countertop, and a few dirty dishes were in the sink. Surely Bosco would wash those. She played the answering machine, which was on the countertop as well. Three messages - 2 from Nicole, and one from herself. Not too helpful. Venturing into his bedroom, she found an unmade bed, a few pieces of clothing scattered around, and his gun, holster, and badge on his night table. His closet contained the usuals, and his uniforms were in there too. So he hadn't walked to work. Faith scanned the rest of the small apartment, but yielded nothing, except the fact that Bosco could be called officially missing. The people at the station will have a hard time believing it, though. She hoped they would. She sighed. Why did her partner have to get on everyone's nerves? 
> 
> "55-David, reporting a missing person."   
"Alright, description please." 
> 
> She paused. 
> 
> "It's Bosco."   
"Bosco? You mean your *partner* Bosco?"   
"Yeah. That would be him."   
"O...kay. 10-4." 
> 
> She could just hear the laughter at central. Faith closed her eyes. If Bosco showed up right now, she wouldn't know whether to hug him or shoot him. He can be real annoying sometimes, but she cared for him. She wanted to know he was alright. She hoped to God he was. 
> 
> * * *
> 
> Unknown Location   
Evening Hours 
> 
> The Baxters haven't come by all day. Maybe they got arrested... [I'm just pushing my luck,] Bosco mused. He gingerly shifted his position, trying to get a bit more comfortable. All he got was pain shooting up his injured leg, and he hissed with pain. 
> 
> Earlier in the day, when he felt a little better, Bosco once again tried to escape, but this time he didn't have enough strength to break the pipe. The attempt left him lightheaded and exhausted. As well, he had a few coughing spells, draining him of even more energy. 
> 
> He heard footsteps above him. [Maybe it's that calvary,] he thought. He tried to call out, but it turned into a cough instead. The door to the basement creaked open, and heavy footsteps made contact with the stairs. Bosco's hopes dashed. It was one of the brothers, Dan, to be precise. He approached Bosco. 
> 
> "Well. Good evening, officer. Or should I call you Maurice?"   
"What do you want, Dan?" 
> 
> Bosco was surprised by the low rasp that came out, but he knew if he raised his voice, he would start coughing. 
> 
> "Just checkin' up on ya. It's my house, you know."   
"What do you care?"   
"I care about the people I chain up to the basement, that's why." 
> 
> Bosco could think of no other witty remark to make. 
> 
> "Shut up." 
> 
> The two stared at each other coldly. Suddenly, Dan tossed something at Bosco. Bosco ducked his head. The thing landed beside him. A bottle of water. He suddenly realized how thirsty he was. He looked back up at Dan. 
> 
> "What's this? A good will gesture?" 
> 
> Anger flashed in Dan's eyes, and Bosco stared at him defiantely. 
> 
> "If my brother was down here, he'd be kicking the crap out of you."   
"Oh... so I'm supposed to be grateful for your presence." 
> 
> Dan slapped him hard across the face. It hurt bad, but Bosco didn't let is show on his face. 
> 
> "You just don't know when to stop, do you? Maybe I should just kill you."   
"So what don't you? Isn't that why you're holding me up here? To get your revenge for Rob?" 
> 
> Dan brought his foot down hard on Bosco's left leg, and kept it there. Bosco cried out in agony, and tried unsuccessfully to move his injured leg from under the weight. 
> 
> "So now you're the know-it-all? Think you're in charge here? Well, guess what, pal, you're not. Think you're smart, huh? Look who's the one chained up. Look who's the one that shot my brother dead! Oh, I'm gonna get my revenge, *Boscorelli*. You just wait..." 
> 
> Dan swiftly kicked Bosco's injured leg. He gave a short laugh, and turned and walked upstairs. 
> 
> Bosco's eyes were shut in intense pain. [Where's the asprin when you need it?] Gradually, the pain subsided to a dull throb. Now his throat was killing him. He looked tiredly over at the bottle of water. He really needed a drink. Lowering his cuffed hands to the ground, he reached the bottle. He rolled it closer to himself until he could make it stand upright. He opened the lid, and carefully brought it awkwardly to his mouth, and took a sip. Swallowing really hurt, but he was thirsty. He repeated the process several times, then lowered the bottle and capped the lid. Feeling tired, he closed his eyes. Soon after, he fell into dreamless sleep. 
> 
> * * *
> 
> 55th Precinct   
8:00pm 
> 
> "I can't believe I forgot about Baxter!," Faith exclaimed, shaking her head. 
> 
> She was sitting at a desk with Sully and Davis opposite from her, leafing through the file on Baxter. 
> 
> "So you think it's revenge?," Sully asked.   
"Could be possible."   
"I wouldn't be surprised," Sully muttered. Faith didn't hear.   
"Don't the detectives handle this sort of thing?," Davis questioned.   
"And usually I wouldn't put my foot in. But this *is* my partner we're dealing with. I wanna know the details." 
> 
> Faith sighed frustratedly, continuing to look at Baxter's file folder. She had asked the detectives to lend her the file, and they were kind enough to have it for a bit. 
> 
> "Faith. We'll find him. Don't worry about it too much."   
"Yeah, I know we will, but it's just that I feel like there's something really wrong with him... I dunno. Maternal instincts, I guess." 
> 
> Sully nodded, and picked up one of the sheets of paper. There wasn't much they can do until the captain gave the order. Faith didn't feel right just sitting and waiting, though. She would rather be out, searching every nook and cranny for her partner. But that wasn't rational, and she would never be cleared to do that on her own. Looking through the file helped her a bit, even though she didn't really see the words on the page. One of the detectives working on the case walked by. 
> 
> "Hey!," Faith called out. The detective stopped and turned.   
"Anything new on my partner?"   
"No, not yet. Don't worry, Yokas, we'll keep you posted."   
"Thanks." 
> 
> The detective nodded and went on. The three officers sat in silence, leafing through the documents. Waiting is definitely the hardest part, but they've got no choice. Faith could only pray that Bosco was still alive. 
> 
> * * *
> 
> 55th Precinct   
Debriefing Room   
3:15pm 
> 
> "We've got a serial rapist on the loose, Bryan Aberfoyle. Repeat offender, let out 3 months ago. He's 5'10, brown haired, really clean cut. Raped 2 women in the past 2 weeks. Don't let appearances fool you, people. Dismissed. Yokas, Sully, Davis, hang back. The detectives want to speak to you." 
> 
> As the other officers moved out of the room, the three approached the front. 
> 
> "What have you got for us?," Sully asked, folding the handout in his hand.   
"Leads on Bosco's case." 
> 
> Faith straightened up, hearing the name. 
> 
> "What is it?"   
"We visited Robert Baxter's brothers, Thomas and Daniel at their home. Say they don't know anything about Bosco, but they would be happy to help in anyway they can. We still have our suspicions about them, but we aren't too certain if they're the guys. Thomas has priors. Petty stuff - shoplifting, harassment... we still need to dig a little deeper. Did find a former house, thought you might wanna tag along to check it out. Might help us nail or clear 'em."   
"You got a search warrant?"   
"Right here." 
> 
> The detective held up a piece of paper. 
> 
> "Well, let's go folks. Daylight's burning."   
"Yokas, why don't you ride with Sully and Davis."   
"Okay."   
"Davis, sign out three radios," Sully commanded.   
"Actually, you'll hafta get hand helds for this one. You'll be away from our dispatch area, but if you need to contact us, the detectives have cell phones. The hand helds will keep the three of you in contact."   
"We're going that far away?"   
"Apparently. You're all cleared to go. Good luck." 
> 
> The captain returned to his office, and the detectives and officers made their way outside. 
> 
> "You think this is it?," Sully asked. Faith sighed.   
"Maybe. We'll see." 
> 
> * * *
> 
> Former Baxter Residence   
4:00pm 
> 
> "This *is* pretty far from our area," Davis commented.   
"Yeah, middle of nowhere," Sully added.   
"Naw... in New York, you're never in the middle of nowhere," Faith objected. 
> 
> Sully pulled up to the address scribbled down by one of the detectives on a piece of paper. 
> 
> "Is this it?," Davis asked.   
"Apparently," Sully replied, getting out of the car. The other two followed suit.   
"They lived here? It's pretty run down."   
"Probably why they moved."   
"I change my mind. This is the middle of nowhere. No neighbours?"   
"This area has been condemned for living for a couple of years," one of the detectives replied as the group neared the house.   
"How old are these houses?"   
"Built in the lat 40's, early 50's." 
> 
> One of the detectives pushed open the main door easily. 
> 
> "Alright, Sully and Davis, you cover the main floor. Yokas can take the basement if there is one, and Laumann and I will look around upstairs. Let's get to work." 
> 
> The two detectives, Churchill and Laumann, headed up the old creaky stairs. 
> 
> "I think this is it," Faith announced quietly, taking in her surroundings.   
"We'll find him, Yokas." 
> 
> She nodded and wandered to other parts of the small house, looking for the basement entrance. She found it easily, and switching on her flashlight, she descended down the steps. As she walked down, she noticed that the air was colder, and had a musty, dank smell. A soft clang sounded from the back of the basement. 
> 
> "Hello?" 
> 
> No response, or at least none that she could hear. Stepping down the last step, she peered into the dark, shining her flashlight around. As her eyes adjusted to the dark, she looked down to see blood stains on the ground. This was not good. A cough coming from the dark startled her, and she quickly looked up, her flashlight sweeping left and right, her heart beating faster. 
> 
> "Who's there?" 
> 
> In the right corner of the basement, where her light beam rested, was a person sitting on the ground. 
> 
> "Bosco?," she said with uncertainty. Bosco nodded slightly, shutting his eyes from the light.   
"Oh my God... SULLY!!! DAVIS!!! He's down here!!!" 
> 
> She rushed to his side, her heart racing. 
> 
> "Bosco! Oh my God, are you okay? Where are you hurt? Oh my God...," Faith blabbered.   
"You found me," he whispered, giving her a small smile, "knew you would miss me..."   
"I'm so sorry I didn't..."   
"Not your fault..." 
> 
> At that, a chill ran through him. He was dressed only in a t-shirt and tearaways, so it was not surprising that he was cold. She took off her jacket and draped it on him, her concerned eyes looking at her partner. Sully made his way down, while Davis informed the detectives of Bosco. 
> 
> "My God... Bosco?" 
> 
> Bosco tried to think of a witty comeback, but his brain failed him. Instead, he coughed painfully, rattling the handcuffs against the pipe, and wincing. 
> 
> "Faith... can you get these off?"   
"Oh... yeah, of course." 
> 
> Faith mentally slapped herself for not thinking of that sooner as she fumbled for her keys, praying that they would work on his cuffs. 
> 
> "Here, let me get that," Sully said, trying to feel useful. Luckily, the keys worked and the cuffs came loose. [There is a God,] thought Faith. Bosco tiredly whispered his thanks, closed his eyes and started drifting off. 
> 
> "Sully, did you get the paramedics?"   
"Yeah, the detectives are on it." 
> 
> Faith turned her attention back to Bosco. He flinched at the touch of her cool hand on his forehead. She frowned. A fever was not a good sign. 
> 
> "Bos, stay with me, okay? At least until the paramedics come. Please?" 
> 
> He nodded slightly, keeping his eyes closed, winching every so often. Sitting down beside him, Faith took hold of his freezing hands and tried to make them warm. With nothing else to do except wait for the paramedics to come, she shone her flashlight around the basement. Sully followed suit. There was a small window above her which didn't help light up the room much. Cobwebs lined the rooting wood beams above them, and dirt, filth, and water from leaky water pipes covered the floor. A few holes dotted the lower portion of the walls. There might as well as have been mice running around. Sully gave a low whistle, and Faith shuddered at the sight. 
> 
> She began to study her partner instead. There was a nasty gash on his head, which doubtlessly resulted in a concussion. A black eye and a bruise on his right cheek made him even paler. His wrists were reddened and chapped, probably made from unsuccessful escape attempts. His left leg was bent in an unnatural angle, definitely telling her it was broken. She closed her eyes, containing the tears that threatened to fall, and cursed under her breath softly. [If I found him earlier...,] she began to think. 
> 
> Suddenly, a shot rang out from above. Sully cursed and ran upstairs, calling Davis' name on the radio urgently. As he went up, 2 more shots were fired. Faith debated whether to go up or not. 
> 
> "Go," Bosco whispered to her, as if reading her mind.   
"Are you sure?"   
"Go," he repeated. 
> 
> Faith took another look at her partner, and decided to radio Sully instead. 
> 
> "Sully, do you need me?," she asked softly.   
"No. We've got it up here. You stay downstairs, watch Bosco."   
"What happened?"   
"One of the brothers showed up. We got him. Davis got shot at, but he's okay. I'll fill you in with the details later."   
"Okay, 10-4." 
> 
> Upstairs, Sully looked down at the suspect who was down on the ground, moaning in agony of the bullet wounds to his arm and abdomen. 
> 
> "Serves you right," he muttered. 
> 
> Davis sat up, leaning against the wall, rubbing his chest. One of the detectives were on the phone, calling for more paramedics. 
> 
> "Ahh... that smarts."   
"Davis, you just got shot, of course it smarts. Be glad you had a vest on."   
"Yeah... hey, is Bosco downstairs?"   
"Yeah, Yokas is with him."   
"How is he?"   
"Pretty bad... but nothing the docs can't fix up."   
"Man... so he was down there all the time, huh?"   
"Don't know fer sure, but we'll hafta get more details from him later, paint a better picture of what happened... here comes the medics." 
> 
> At that, 2 paramedics entered the house. 
> 
> "What've we got?"   
"This one's the suspect, shot two times," Sully informed, "the cop is downstairs, he's pretty bad. His partner's with him."   
"Okay, Tucker, you go down. I'll look at this guy."   
"'Kay." 
> 
> In the basement, Faith answered the Tucker's call. 
> 
> "Back here!"   
"No lights down here?"   
"No... only my flashlight." 
> 
> Faith turned back to Bosco, who was now only half conscious. Tucker switched on his flashlight. 
> 
> "Hey, Bosco, paramedics are here." 
> 
> There was no response from him, but Faith didn't expect any. She knew he was really exhausted from his ordeal. She gave his hands a gentle squeeze as Tucker put an oxygen mask around his face. 
> 
> "How long has he been down here?"   
"Four days or so, not too sure."   
"Hey," Tucker called out to Bosco in a firm voice, "can you hear me? If you can, squeeze your partner's hand, okay?" 
> 
> Faith got a very light squeeze from him. 
> 
> "Yeah, he can hear you."   
"Good..." 
> 
> Maguire came downstairs. 
> 
> "Perry and Lewis have it upstairs."   
"Man...," Tucker exclaimed, examining Bosco's chest area. It revealed angry bruises. When he probed gently, Bosco winced in pain.   
"Wow, that's bad," Maguire commented.   
"Could you give him something for the pain?," Faith asked in concern.   
"Yeah... I'm on it. I'm starting a saline drip too, 'cause he's pretty dehydrated," Tucker answered 
> 
> Suddenly Bosco yelped in pain, squirmed, and coughed from the throat strain. His eyes screwed tight from the sudden flare of pain, and he gripped Faith's hand tightly. Maguire had been examining his injured leg, and quickly apologized. 
> 
> "It's a pretty bad fracture, but I need to get a splint on it."   
"Let me get the IV and Demerol in first." 
> 
> Faith's heart broke to see her partner suffering so terribly. If only she realized he was missing earlier... 
> 
> After what seemed like hours, Tucker and Maguire finally secured Bosco to a backboard. 
> 
> "We better move fast," Maguire commented.   
"Could you hold this?," Tucker asked Faith, passing the IV bags to her. She took them without question. 
> 
> As they headed up to the ambulance, Faith's eyes were fixed on Bosco. The Demerol had taken its effect on him, and he was no longer conscious. <> Faith thought. 
> 
> Passing through the hallway to the main door, one of the detectives gave a low whistle and the other cursed softly when they saw Bosco. Even Sully made another soft comment. Faith couldn't hear them though. Her thoughts of what might and might not have happened overwhelmed her. A tear slipped down her cheek and she quickly brushed it away, hoping no one saw. 
> 
> Sully did see, however, and he wanted to comfort her somehow, but he couldn't find the words. He'll talk to her later, when this whole ordeal gets a chance to settle in all their minds. Sully sighed as he watched Bosco being loaded into the ambulance and Faith getting into the bus with him. 
> 
> "Let's go, Davis," he said quietly as the ambulance pulled away, "we'll get you to the hospital, have you checked out. Medics orders."   
"Do we hafta talk to the detectives first?"   
"Naw... I'm sure they've got it covered. If they need us, they'll find us."   
"Yeah, okay." 
> 
> The two officers made their way silently out the door, each occupied with their own thoughts. 
> 
> * * *
> 
> Orville County General Hospital   
5:30pm 
> 
> Faith sat on the waiting area chair, flipping absently through a magazine. Sully walked in accompanied by Davis who held two coffees. 
> 
> "Hey Faith." 
> 
> Faith looked up tiredly, and Davis gave her one of the cups. 
> 
> "Thanks."   
"Any news?"   
"He just got admitted to recovery, mom's in there with him. Girlfriend's on her way over."   
"Have you seen him yet?"   
"No, not yet. Doctor's only allowing one visitor at a time."   
"We'll give you a ride home after you see him."   
"Is it any trouble? I can get a cab..."   
"No, we'll be hanging around for a while. We're not on, so... besides, a cab would be expensive to take back."   
"Yeah, okay. Thanks." 
> 
> Faith took another sip of her coffee as Davis and Sully settled themselves in the chairs. Faith looked up to see Davis wince and rub his ribs. 
> 
> "You okay, Davis? You took a shot, right?"   
"Yeah, I'm good. A little bruised up, though, but I'm good. Thank God for the vest."   
"Yeah..." 
> 
> Faith took another sip of her coffee. 
> 
> "Faith?," someone called. She looked up and saw Nicole.   
"Nicole."   
"Where is he?"   
"Room 305. His mom's with him right now. They're only allowing one visitor at a time."   
"God... what happened?"   
"We're not too sure, but we found him in an abandoned place. We'll hafta ask him the details later, when he's up to it."   
"Oh God... who would do something like this...?" 
> 
> Nicole sat down and began sobbing quietly. Faith put an arm around her, her own eyes filling with tears once again. Sully lowered his observing eyes and Davis shifted uncomfortably in his chair. 
> 
> "It'll be okay...," Faith murmured softly, over and over. 
> 
> In her heart, she knew Bosco would be alright. He's always been a fighter and he's tough. But did all this have to happen? 
> 
> Bosco's mom appeared from the nearby hallway as Faith and Nicole looked up, brushing away their tears. 
> 
> "How is he?" 
> 
> Bosco's mom sighed. 
> 
> "Exhausted. Worn. In pain. But he's tough. He'll be okay. He asked to see you, Faith. Go in before he falls asleep."   
"Nicole, maybe you should go in first."   
"No, he asked for you. You should go." 
> 
> Faith sighed, and nodded her head. 
> 
> "Yeah, okay. I'll tell him you're outside."   
"Okay, thanks." 
> 
> Faith got up and began to walk down the hallway to her partner's room, mentally preparing herself for what to say and what she might see. She took a breath and walked into the room. 
> 
> In the room, Bosco was lying on the bed with a tube in his nose to give him oxygen. His injured leg was in a cast and various other places had been cleaned and bandaged. It felt so much better to see him here at the hospital then in that hell hole he was found in. Just thinking of that made fresh tears spring to her eyes. As she wiped away her tears for the hundredth time, she sat down in a chair, set her coffee down on the night table, and pulled up beside the bed. She looked at him and called him softly. 
> 
> "Bosco..." 
> 
> He opened his unfocused eyes slowly and looked at her. 
> 
> "Hey, it's me..." 
> 
> He gave her a small smile when he recognized her. 
> 
> "How are you?"   
"Been better," he whispered, "you okay?"   
"I'm find, Bos. Don't worry about me. I'm okay." 
> 
> She took his hand and squeezed it. 
> 
> "Mmm... Dan n' Tom...?"   
"Tom's upstairs in surgery. We didn't find Dan yet, but there's people on it, Bos, don't worry." 
> 
> He winced and nodded, closing his eyes. 
> 
> "Hey, Nicole's outside. She's waiting to see you. Would you like me to get her?"   
"...'kay."   
"I'll come by tomorrow, then, okay Bos? We'll talk longer if you're up to it." 
> 
> No response from him. He had fallen asleep. Faith sighed. 
> 
> "Get better soon, okay? Miss you being there with me... being there for me." 
> 
> Bosco's lips twitched up ever so slightly, as if hearing her. Maybe he really did, and it was his signal to her that everything would be okay. She sighed again, for the millionth time. She gave him a light kiss on the forehead. 
> 
> "I'll see you tomorrow, Bos." 
> 
> Picking up her coffee, she got up from the chair. Faith gave her partner a gentle stroke on the cheek, and then turned and walked out the door, closing it gently behind her. 

**THE END**

* * *

> Hope you enjoyed this story. A sequel of this story is already in the works, so don't worry, I'll make sure we get Dan! 
> 
> Feedback is always apreciated!!! Please send it to [pedellea@hotmail.com][1]. Thanks a bunch! 
> 
> Return to the [Fanfic Index][2]. 

   [1]: mailto:pedellea@hotmail.com
   [2]: http://www.geocities.com/phunwuns/ThirdWatch/Fanfic/



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